Money is a good thing

Miwa Chisei slept soundly, which was rare in such unfamiliar surroundings.

Perhaps it was because she had the protection of "the strongest." Miwa Chisei felt that no assassin, however foolish, would come all the way to Jujutsu High to kill her.

Probably.

Satoru Gojo was not in the room when she woke. Miwa Chisei sat up, still wearing the underclothes beneath her dark kimono, though the blade wounds had left them covered in bloodstains and tiny tears.

Satoru Gojo had draped her dark kimono over the back of a chair, too, and Miwa Chisei's gaze softened a little.

The next problem was that she was starving.

She remembered saying she would go to Suguru Geto's place, but she had no idea which room he actually lived in.

After a moment's thought, Miwa Chisei opened the refrigerator in Satoru Gojo's dorm room. It was exceptionally tidy-completely empty.

So he really only ate fresh desserts?

She needed carbohydrates and sugar now, or she might pass out again and not wake up.

Her blood-soaked kimono was unwearable. After some hesitation, Miwa Chisei opened Satoru Gojo's wardrobe and picked out a white shirt to wear as an outer layer.

This was seriously long for a shirt. She could practically wear it as a dress.

What on earth did he eat to grow so tall?

Miwa Chisei rolled the sleeves up several times before they reached a suitable length.

She opened the door and stepped outside. For a student dormitory, it was far too quiet.

Unlike ordinary high schools, where each class had dozens of students, the number of students in each year at Jujutsu High was always in the single digits. With those few students all headed into a high-risk profession, jujutsu sorcerers were extremely scarce.

Were there even three people living on this floor...? Although it was deserted, Miwa Chisei found herself strangely fond of the atmosphere.

It was probably the feeling of being left undisturbed.

Most jujutsu sorcerers had eccentric, unruly personalities. Suguru Geto was already one of the more sensible sorcerers Miwa Chisei had met-or perhaps she simply had not discovered his hidden quirks yet?

Satoru Gojo was the absolute pinnacle of awful personalities in Jujutsu Society. Although he was extremely intelligent, his personality was downright twisted-

It did seem inappropriate to speak that way about the person who had saved her life, but that still did not change how annoying he was.

Miwa Chisei left the dormitory building and was greeted by April's gentle spring breeze. The afternoon sunshine was bright, and the lush greenery swayed under the breeze's light caress.

Small bridges and flowing streams lent the campus an air of antiquity and heritage. This was no ordinary school; every corner exuded mystery and freedom.

Miwa Chisei suddenly remembered something. She touched the corner of her eye. Her sunglasses seemed to have vanished during the fight, and with her brain desperately in need of carbohydrates, she had apparently forgotten all about them.

Would she frighten the people at the school?

She hesitated, unable to take another step.

"Are you a new student?"

A woman's gentle voice reached her. Miwa Chisei turned her head in surprise and saw an older woman with gray-blue hair tied in a high ponytail.

She was tall and shapely, and her clothing suggested she was a jujutsu sorcerer. Although her features were cool, she did not seem unapproachable.

She appeared to have been passing through from somewhere and had happened upon Miwa Chisei standing beside the path.

"No, but someone I know goes to school here."

Mei Mei was not particularly warmhearted. She had simply encountered a girl on an empty path, and walking past without saying anything would have seemed rather cold.

The girl was very pale, looking as though she had just recovered from a serious illness. She wore a clearly oversized men's shirt that looked somewhat familiar.

Her long silver hair looked beautiful in the sunlight and reminded Mei Mei of a certain high school boy, though on closer inspection, the girl's hair seemed a shade darker.

Her red eyes looked deep, like rubies.

Rubies... those ought to be expensive, right?

Miwa Chisei sensed that the woman was staring at her eyes without the slightest fear or disgust. Instead, she felt a hint of appreciation from her.

Miwa Chisei was surprised. This was the first time anyone had felt that way when looking into her eyes.

"Are you Gojo's friend? Don't wander around, all right? You'll run into plenty of strange people."

Mei Mei's smile did not reach her eyes. It seemed more like teasing.

Miwa Chisei nodded. Was she looking out for her?

"Thank you. I'm just a little hungry."

"If you want the shop, it's over there."

Mei Mei pointed in a direction, then gave another faint smile and prepared to leave.

Having judged that this woman was someone she could communicate with normally, Miwa Chisei asked a question.

"Could you lend me a little money to buy food?"

After all, she had no way of knowing whether the food at Jujutsu High's shop was free.

Mei Mei stopped in her tracks. A peculiar expression appeared on her face.

It was a little excited and a little dangerous.

Miwa Chisei was surprised by that expression. Had she said something strange?

Mei Mei curled her lips into a meaningful smile.

"Money is important, isn't it? You can't do anything without it. But the process of saving it is even more enjoyable."

For some reason, Miwa Chisei felt a sense of kinship.

She nodded earnestly, her tone turning serious as well.

"Saving money really is a good habit."

Mei Mei studied Miwa Chisei, intrigued by her words.

"You look very young, but you certainly have the right mindset."

Miwa Chisei was surprised, too. A jujutsu sorcerer who thought so highly of something as worldly as money-this woman seemed to have excellent judgment.

"Honestly, no one has ever asked me to lend them money before. This is a new experience."

Mei Mei leisurely took out her wallet, pulled out a ten-thousand-yen note, and held it out to Miwa Chisei.

"How close are you and Gojo? Can I ask him to pay me back?"

An indescribable fondness rose in Miwa Chisei's normally impassive eyes.

Was this woman an angel? Beautiful and kind, and she would not even have to repay her herself?

"Yes."

Their relationship was terrible, though. Still, Satoru Gojo was not the sort to nag over a mere ten thousand Japanese yen.

Mei Mei nodded in satisfaction, then left.

Clutching the ten thousand Japanese yen, Miwa Chisei headed toward the shop. She was in a good mood, convinced she had met a kind person, though she had forgotten to ask the woman's name. That seemed a little rude.

Meanwhile, Mei Mei took out her phone and dialed a number.

It took a while for the call to connect. Then a boy's hoarse voice came through, sounding a little impatient.

"Hello, Miss Mei?"

Mei Mei's smile deepened.

"Do you know a girl with silver hair and red eyes?"

Satoru Gojo yawned. "Yeah."

"She just borrowed a hundred thousand Japanese yen from me. Sorry for the trouble, but could you pay me back for her, Gojo?"

Satoru Gojo felt as though his brain had not woken up yet. He seemed to be hallucinating.

"How much?"

"A hundred thousand Japanese yen."

"Has that damn brat lost her mind?"

"She seemed hungry. She went to the shop."

"You don't need a hundred thousand Japanese yen to go to the shop! Is that brat planning to eat a whole pig? And you're acting weird, Miss Mei. Why would you lend anyone money?"

Mei Mei laughed teasingly. "Because I thought she was a girl with some very interesting ideas."

Satoru Gojo thought, Miss Mei, have you lost your mind?

He clicked his tongue in displeasure and protested, "Then why are you asking me for it? Go ask that brat!"

Mei Mei spoke as though it were perfectly obvious. "Because she looks like she can't afford to pay it back."

Satoru Gojo was rather speechless. Mei Mei's instincts when it came to money were terrifyingly sharp.

"I'll send you my account number in a moment. Bye."

Without waiting for Satoru Gojo to complain any further, Mei Mei breezily hung up.

That transaction had turned a profit: ten thousand Japanese yen for a hundred thousand.

Mei Mei was in an excellent mood.